This archive report was first published on 4 October 2019.
On Friday, October 4, 2019, South Africa's Rugby World Cup campaign continued with a resounding 49-3 victory over Italy, securing a spot in the quarter-finals.
Electric winger Cheslin Kolbe stole the show with a classy double, showcasing his exceptional speed and agility.
However, the evening ended on a concerning note for Kolbe, as he limped off late in the game with an ankle injury sustained in a tackle.
Italy's tighthead prop Simone Ferrari was subbed off within two minutes of the game due to a leg injury sustained in the first scrum.
Despite spurning an early shot at goal, South Africa quickly took the lead thanks to Kolbe's lightning-fast feet, who darted around Italy's defenders to score a fine try.
Handre Pollard converted the try, and the Springboks continued to dominate the game, with Pollard trading penalties with Italy's fly-half Tommaso Allan.
However, Italy's coach Conor O'Shea suffered a further blow when his second tighthead, replacement Marco Riccioni, was subbed off injured with just 18 minutes on the clock.
As a result, English referee Wayne Barnes was forced to order non-contested scrums, depriving South Africa of one of their key attacking weapons.
Despite this setback, the Springboks continued to pressurize Italy's defense, with their big men taking charge of their driving mauls off attacking line-outs.
Hooker Mbongeni Mbonambi scored a try after one such efficient drive, and Pollard converted to make it 17-3 at half-time.
Italy's struggles continued in the second half, with loosehead Andrea Lovotti sent off for a needless tip-tackle after the whistle on Duane Vermeulen.
It was the third red card of the World Cup, following American John Quill and Uruguay's Facundo Gattas, who were both dismissed for high tackles.
Pollard hit a second penalty as Italy struggled to cope with the Springboks' all-encompassing defensive line speed and power runners in midfield.
The floodgates opened after centre Damian de Allende sparked a slick offloading attack, and Kolbe picked up on the second bounce to cross for his brace.
Centre Lukhanyo Am grabbed an opportunistic intercept try, and left winger Makazole Mapimpi gathered a chip to cross for a deserved try.
With Italy under the cosh, Kolbe defied his size to bundle Minozzi touchwards, and Bok replacement RG Snyman was on hand to intercept for the simplest of tries.
Malcolm Marx popped over for the final word from an line-out maul, securing a comprehensive victory for the Springboks.
